Pipe guide for running well pipes



July 13, 1965 P. M. MAHONY PIPE GUIDE FOR RUNNING WELL PIPES Filed March 6, 1965 ATTOR/VEV United States Patent 3,194,611 FEE GUIDE FGR RUNNING WELL PIPES Peter M. Mahony, Dixie Rental Tools, 1nd, Box 65 1, Lake Charles, La. Filed Mar. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 263,212 3 (Ilairns. (Cl. 3tl8--4) This invention relates to a pipe guide for use in running pipe Strings into and out of a well, and more particularly to a roller-equipped pipe guide.

In numerous operations connected with the completion, equipping, and reworking of wells, such as oil and gas wells, it is frequently necessary to run strings of pipe, such as casing or tubing, into and out of the well. For economic and other considerations, it is nearly always desirable that the running of the pipe be conducted as quickly and efllciently as possible. As the pipe strings are frequently of great length, and maybe of large diameter and heavy Weight, it becomes important to run the pipe in or out of the well with a minimum amount of binding or other conditions which may interfere with the free and rapid movement of the pipe.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved form of guide member which is particularly adapted to enable the smooth running of pipe strings into and out of wells.

An important object of this invention is to provide a guide member employing a plurality of angularly spaced guide rollers for engaging the pipe string to center it with respect to the well bore and to aid the free movement of the pipe string into and out of a well.

An additional object is to provide a roller-equipped pipe guide in which the rollers are radially adjustable to accommodate pipes of different diameters.

A further object is to provide a pipe guide employing a generally annular body having a central opening to accommodate pipe strings passed therethrough, the body being split medially to provide two complementary segments hinged at one side to be opened and closed about the pipe string and having means for releasably latching the body se ments together.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the pipe guide showing the latter mounted about a pipe and seated in a rotary table shown in broken lines;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view as seen in FIG. 2 with the guide rollers in a radially adjusted position relative to that of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the pipe guide comprises a substantially fiat, generally annular body, designated generally by the numeral 1%, constructed from parallel top and bottom plates 11 and 12, respectively, supported in vertically spaced relationship by a plurality of pairs of parallel vertically disposed, spaced apart bracing or spacer plates 1313, the upper and lower edges of which are rigidly secured, as by welding, to plates 11 and 12. Body 1%, has a central opening therethrough, designated generally by the numeral 14, defined by registering circular openings in plates 11 and 12;. The pairs of spacer plates are radially oriented and angularly spaced with respect to the axis of opening 14. The disposition of the pairs of spacer plates and their connection to the top and bottom plates of body define a plurality of generally square slots 17 extending radially from the outer periphery of body it to the edge of opening 14.

The outer periphery of body 10 is of a polygonal shape,

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being nominally square but having the corners thereof cropped to define the square outer ends of slots 17. The square or polygonal outer configuration of body 10 enables the latter to be non-rotatably seated in the correspondingly shaped seat S usually provided in the upper end of the conventional master bushing B which is mounted in a conventional rotary table T normally rotatably supported about the upper end of a well.

Mounted in each of the guide slots 17 is a roller carriage 24) of hollow, generally square cross-sectional configuration, which is dimensioned to be freely slidable in slot 17, and is defined by side plates 21-21 and top and bottom plates 2222. A guide roller 24 is journalled in the inner or forward end of carriage 20. Each roller 24- is provided with trunnions 25 which are mounted in journals 26 in side plates 21. The rollers preferably have concave peripheral surfaces 27 for close guiding engagement with the exterior of a pipe P which is passed through the guide member. Means are provided for locking the guide rollers in its slot 17 in guiding relation to pipe P, such means consisting of longitudinally spaced pairs of aligned openings 28-28 in side plates 21--21 which may be disposed in registration with longitudinally I spaced pairs of aligned openings 29-29 in the related spacer plates 13-13. A lock pin 39 is slidably insertable through registering pairs of openings 28-23 and 29-2). Lock pin 3% may be releasably secured in looking position by means of any suitable latch mechanism. Such a latch mechanism conveniently may comprise a keeper member, such as a round washer 31, mounted on a bolt 32 secured to the exterior of one of the spacer plates in a position between and adjacent the spaced openings 29 of that spacer plate so as to extend into a keeper slot 33 provided in a portion of lock pin 39 which projects beyond the side plate.

it will be seen that the guide rollers may be made to guidingly accommodate different size pipes by shifting the rolle carriages longitudinally of the slots 17 to align selected ones of the pairs of openings 28 and 29 coresponding to the desired positions of the guide rollers and then inserting lock pin 39 through the thus aligned openings.

Body 1% is split medially to define two complementary segments 1% and 10b which are hingedly connected together by hinge lugs 35-35 connected by means of a hinge pin 36. The opposite ends of segments 10a and 1% are provided with cooperating latch elements comprising a keeper block 37 mounted on segment 10a and arranged to span the split between the segments. A latch pin 38 is insertable through openings in plates 11 and 12 adapted to register with a vertical opening 39 in keeper lock 37.

It is believed that the operation of the device will be obvious from the foregoing description. Pipe P will be suspended from the usual hoisting mechanism employed for running pipe strings into and out of a well and will extend through a suitable device positioned at the top of the well, such as rotary table T. Guide 10 will be suitably supported on the rotary table, as by seating it in S of the master bushing. As the pipe is run through the guide the rollers will keep the pipe eitectively centered so as to reduce the possibility that the pipe may swing to one side and bind or drag on the side of the Well or the wellhead fittings through which it passes. Also the rollers serve as anti-friction elements to enable the pipe to move smoothly and easily into and out of the well.

A conventional slip bowl E, shown in broken lines in FIG. 1, may be mounted on the guide device to receive the usual wedge slips for holding the pipe string while sections are added to or removed therefrom, depending on Whether the pipe is being run into or out of the well.

As noted previously, by providing for radial adjustability of the roller carriages, different sized pipes may be accommodated, and degree of adjustment may be varied by varying the number of spacing of the holes in the roller carriages and the spacer plates.

The described construction provides a relatively compact, portable guide structure which may be moved from well to well, as needed, and may be employed with various types of supporting structures. It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of the illustrative embodiment within the scope of the appended claims but without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pipe guide for running well pipes, comprising, a generally annular hollowbody mountable on top of a well and having a central opening therethrough for passage of pipe, spacer means defining a plurality of radial slots in said body angularly spaced about said opening, said body being split medially to provide two complementary segments, means hingedly connecting the segments for opening and closing them about a pipe, cooperating latch means on the segments for releasably locking them together, a horizontally disposed roller carriage slidably mounted in each of said slots to project, radially therefrom into said opening, saidbody and said spacer means cooperating to enclose each said carriageto prevent vertical movement thereof in its slot, guide rollers journalled in the inner ends of said carriages to rollably engage pipe passing through said opening, and cooperating means on said spacer means and said carriages for selectively adjusting the extent of projection of said rollers into said opening 7 whereby to accommodate pipes of differing diameters therebetween, said cooperating means including means for securing saidcarriages in the selected position.

2. A pipe guide for running well pipes, comprising, a generally annular hollow body mountable on top of a well and having a central opening therethrough for passage of pipe, the external configuration of said body being substantially square, spacer means defining a plurality of slots in said body angularly spaced about said opening and extending diagonally of the body from the four corners thereof said body being split medially to provide two complementary segments, means hingedly connecting the segments for opening and closing them about a'pipe, cooperating latch means on the segments for releasably locking them together, a horizontally disposed roller carr-i'age slidably mounted in each of said slots to project radially therefrom into said opening, said body and said spacer means cooperating to enclose each said carriage to prevent vertical movement thereof in its slot, guide rollers journalled in the inner ends of said carriages to rollably engage pipe passing through said opening, and cooperating means on said spacer means and said carriages for selectively adjusting the extent of projection of said rollers into said opening whereby to accommodate pipes of (littering diameters therebetween, said cooperating means including longitudinally spaced holes in the walls of said slots and in said carriages, and lock pin means extendible through registering sets of said holes for securing said carriages in the selected position. I

3. A pipe guide for running well pipes, comprising, a generally annular hollow'body mountable on top of a well and having a-central opening therethroughfor passage of pipe, spacer means comprising complementary pairs of spaced parallel side plates defining a plurality of radial slots of generally square cross-section in said body angullarly spaced about said opening, said body being split medially to provide two complementary segments, means hingedly connecting the segments for opening and closing them about a pipe, cooperating latch means on the segments for releasably locking them together, a roller carriage slidably mounted in each of said slots to project radially therefrom into'said opening, guide rollers journalled in the inner ends of said carriages to rollably engage pipe passing through said opening,-and cooperating means on said spacer means and said carriages for selectively adjusting the extent of-projection of said rollers into said opening whereby to accommodate pipes of differing diameters therebetween, said cooperating means including at least two longitudinally spaced aligned pairs of openings in said side plates, transverse openings in said carriages adapted to register with-a selected one of said aligned pairs of openings by movement of the carriage longitudinally in its slot, a lock pin extendible transversely through the registeringopenings, and keeper means mounted on-the spacer plates for securing the lock pin in place.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 782,043 2/05 McCready 6423 2,058,689 10/36 Hauser 64,23 2,510,719 6/50 Shafier 308-6 X 3,097,892 7/63 Newburg 3086 DON A. WAITE, Primary Examiner. ROBERT c. RIORDON, Examiner. 

1. A PIPE GUIDE FOR RUNNING WELL PIPES, COMPRISING, A GENERALLY ANNULAR HOLLOW BODY MOUNTABLE ON TOP OF A WELL AND HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING THERETHROUGH FOR PASSAGE OF PIPE, SPACER MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF RADIAL SLOTS IN SAID BODY ANGULARLY SPACED ABOUT SAID OPENING, SAID BODY BEING SPLIT MEDIALLY TO PROVIDE TWO COMPLEMENTARY SEGMENTS, MEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTING THE SEGMENTS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING THEM ABOUT A PIPE, COOPERATING LATCH MEANS ON THE SEGMENTS FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING THEM TOGETHER, A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ROLLER CARRIAGE SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN EACH OF SAID SLOTS TO PROJECT RADIALLY THEREFROM INTO SAID OPENING, SAID BODY AND SAID SPACER MEANS COOPERATING TO ENCLOSE EACH SAID CARRIAGE TO PREVENT VERTICAL MOVEMENT THEREOF IN ITS SLOT, GUIDE ROLLERS JOURNALLED IN THE INNER ENDS OF SAID CARRIAGES TO ROLLABLY ENGAGE PIPE PASSING THROUGH SAID OPENING, AND COOPERATING MEANS ON SAID SPACER MEANS AND SAID CARRIAGES FOR SELECTIVELY ADJUSTING THE EXTENT OF PROJECTION OF SAID ROLLERS INTO SAID OPENING WHEREBY TO ACCOMMODATE PIPES OF DIFFERING DIAMETERS THEREBETWEEN, SAID COOPERATING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR SECURING SAID CARRIAGES IN THE SELECTED POSITION. 